Rico Verhoeven vs Oleksandr Usyk official for WBC Heavyweight Championship — May 23 in Egypt (DAZN)

Discussion in 'World Boxing Forum' started by BoxerMaurits, Feb 2, 2026.

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Who would win?

  1. Rico Verhoeven

    17 vote(s)
    10.6%

  2. Oleksandr Usyk

    143 vote(s)
    89.4%
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  1. Mark Anthony

    Mark Anthony Sheerass is a good nickname Full Member

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    That's just average pad work, he only has 21 KO's in 66 wins in his sport.
     
    Last edited: Mar 2, 2026
    Mark Anthony, Mar 2, 2026
    #361
  2. mrbigshot

    mrbigshot Well-Known Member banned Full Member

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    Serge , you try hard to create a picture that rico is a legit contender for a wbc title shot but that is and will stay pure nonsense .

    He is as a boxer a complete nobody without any resume , not even remotely legitimate for a world title shot .

    Zhang , itauma , hrgovic , parker , bakole und many more - all of them would easily rip rico,s head off first round when not holding intentionally back .

    I cannot believe wbc will sanction this as a title defence
     
    mrbigshot, Mar 2, 2026
    #362
    Joeywill likes this.
  3. Joeywill

    Joeywill Boxing Addict Full Member

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    It's embarrassing the WBC is the biggest joke in boxing so it doesn't surprise me
     
    Joeywill, Mar 2, 2026
    #363
  4. Serge

    Serge Ginger Dracula Staff Member

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    Good pad work and speed for a giant and Ngannou's wasn't even average. He looked like musclebound doorman

    3 round fights, baby gurl, and he's primarily a technician like Usyk and we know that Usyk can punch

    What do you think Rico's KO% would look like if he was facing much smaller Usyk size opponents?
     
    Serge, Mar 2, 2026
    #364
    catchwtboxing and UnleashtheFURY like this.
  5. bluebird

    bluebird Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Rico has been sparring the best heavyweight boxers for years... Yes, he's better than Ngannou
     
    bluebird, Mar 2, 2026
    #365
    catchwtboxing, Serge and UnleashtheFURY like this.
  6. Serge

    Serge Ginger Dracula Staff Member

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    Everyone said Floyd vs Conor wouldn't be remotely competitive and then after being made to look like complete fools they said exactly the same about Belly vs Ngannou and after being made to look like fools once again they still haven't learned the lesson and Rico is way bigger than Usyk not roughly the same size as those guys were

    If that didn't wake you up the Triller Triad Combat Sports event should've. They pitted a bunch of MMA fighters vs pro boxers under what was essentially boxing rules and the MMA fighters not only won the event the margin of victory would've been even wider had they not robbed two of the MMA fighters. In almost every bout the MMA fighters had better hands and they scored more KDs too lol

    This isn't a recent thing I've been telling you all for years kickboxers and MMA fighters can box much better than you think they can
     
    Serge, Mar 2, 2026
    #366
  7. mrbigshot

    mrbigshot Well-Known Member banned Full Member

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    I agree with you . But should usyk after this joke go infront the cameras and say that he succesfully defended his wbc belt - his resume will be even more manufactured in that case .
     
    mrbigshot, Mar 2, 2026
    #367
  8. mrbigshot

    mrbigshot Well-Known Member banned Full Member

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    And the fact it was NOT a title defence !!!!
     
    mrbigshot, Mar 2, 2026
    #368
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  9. Serge

    Serge Ginger Dracula Staff Member

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    I'm not interested in what fighters did and how many times they were defending their titles in their primes I'm interested what they were doing at 39 y/o and how many times they were defending their titles at that age right at the end of their careers

    It's like comparing how many chicks someone was banging in their 20s to their 50s :facepalm:

    GTHOH with this false equivalence nonsense
     
    Serge, Mar 2, 2026
    #369
  10. rolzone

    rolzone Active Member Full Member

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    Perhaps it's a low risk fight for him to gauge whether he still has one more real fight left in him. I won't begrudge him that if he either retires after this or faces kabayel for the last hurrah
     
    rolzone, Mar 2, 2026
    #370
    Serge likes this.
  11. SouthpawsRule

    SouthpawsRule Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Truly an amazing legacy match for Usyk, taking on a guy pillow-fisted kickboxer that would probably get outskilled and flatlined by Ngannou with hands only.

    Always funny to see Serge’s desperate attempts at justifying this though.
     
    SouthpawsRule, Mar 2, 2026
    #371
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  12. Serge

    Serge Ginger Dracula Staff Member

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    He's forged an entire career taking risks and fighting the best and I don't think this is a fight which comes with no risk. Rico is 6'6'' and 270lbs and fast for his size and he is the undisputed kickboxing HW champion and he hasn't lost in 11 years and regardless what others are saying Usyk has absolutely earned the right to take a money fight and supposedly softer touch and if he refuses to defend against his mandatories after that he can get stripped and rightfully so. People are acting like this isn't one fight and at no point has he said he won't be back to normal proceedings afterwards

    The cry babies use any and every opportunity they get to try and tear him down even though he gives them nothing and this is just the latest excuse they were praying for to do so
     
    Serge, Mar 2, 2026
    #372
  13. TMLT87

    TMLT87 Active Member Full Member

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    No of course not. I'm not defending this fight at all.

    Its disappointing all round tbh. Fury having a freakshow fight didnt really surprise me but I thought AJ and even more so Usyk were too professional to do the same. We've now had the three biggest stars of this HW generation all fighting guys from a different sport while still active and highly ranked.
     
    TMLT87, Mar 2, 2026
    #373
  14. Cojimar 1946

    Cojimar 1946 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    One thing I find curious is the acceptance of fighting so infrequently.

    Why is it okay to only fight once a year and if so can fighters fight even less frequently say every two or three years? At what point does it become unacceptable if ever?

    What if fighters start retiring with only 15 fights having never fought more than once a year and generally even less
     
    Cojimar 1946, Mar 2, 2026
    #374
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  15. Mark Anthony

    Mark Anthony Sheerass is a good nickname Full Member

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    He's not a boxer and doesn't punch harder than a prime Mike Tyson, he's also not as big as Fury, AJ is the same size as Rico and punches harder.
     
    Mark Anthony, Mar 2, 2026
    #375
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